With the spring semester coming in at full speed, we all obviously have a fresh schedule from our best friend, IROAR. This means different building locations, fresh faces and possibly even a whole new major.
Whether you have had the same classroom for three semesters in a row or you walk in and immediately find your best friend, I think it’s essential to say hello to the person next to you. Ask the famous three questions: year, major and hometown, just to scratch the surface.
I give this advice confidently, knowing I have had a true class friend success story. Now, some might not work out that way, as some people are just downright rude, but one of mine did. I sat with a stranger on my first day of class, and now she is one of my very best friends in the whole world. Different hometowns, sororities and dorms, but still finding the mundane similarities amongst ourselves. Talking about nothing while simultaneously checking your email just to ease the nerves a little.
The surface-level conversations on the first day can turn into more and more, and possibly even someone you decide to study abroad with in Italy for an entire summer.
If your rapport doesn’t flourish into a future bridesmaid, that’s okay, too. Everyone can appreciate a class friend. Someone who you can text if you are too sick or hungover to make it to class, need to do some last-minute cramming for the exam or just ask what they’re doing for the homework assignment. This friend can literally have “COMM 2020” in their contact name to make sure you remember which Megan you’re letting know that class got canceled.
It might not seem like a big deal, but you never know what burden that stranger is invisibly carrying. They might have had a rough holiday break at home, be a transfer student or just have some first-day jitters. Letting them know that you are someone they could ask a quick question about the syllabus to or what the teacher is talking about might help them relax their shoulders a little bit.
It all starts with a greeting and a few introductory questions. Start simple, and let them reciprocate. They might not want anything to do with you, but at least you can say you tried. And maybe you didn’t do this on the first day of class — that’s okay, but think about it next week when you want to bury your head in your Instagram feed or keep your AirPods in. Say hey, be the class friend and gain a new buddy for the semester.
Abney Smith is a senior communications major from Marietta, Georgia. Abney can be reached at [email protected].
